Have you ever said you would do something but then never really followed through? Perhaps you were talking about losing a few pounds, quit smoking or find a better job.

Sometimes you don’t finish or even get started because you don’t know exactly what you want, where to begin or believe in yourself. Then there are times when your mood or feelings about other things prevent you from proceeding, it kills your motivation.

Motivation is vital if you want to excel. This element comes from within, you have to get yourself going. No one else is going to be able to influence you if you are resistant, so you have to know how to motivate yourself. Learn how to establish and keep momentum during tough times. You are the driving force to get yourself out of a rut, others can help but ultimately you hold the power. If you don’t learn how to trek on during hard times, you will have lost before you’ve even begun.

At times, motivation is temporary or completely nonexistent. You may have been excited to start something, may be even did a few things then stopped after a while. Only a small few see most things, from start to finish, through regardless of the circumstance.

Here are some tips to getting motivated:

Prioritize and Focus – Sometimes my lack of motivation comes from feeling overwhelmed. It just seems like too many things are going on at once and I feel discouraged when I try to figure out how to juggle them all. In an effort not to disappoint, we often bite off more than we can chew. End the end, your stress levels are through the roof and the quality of the outcome just isn’t there. When you try to throw all the balls in the air a once, you’re bound to drop a few. Instead you need to figure out what is most important and focus on that goal. Once that is completed move on to the next.

This sounds obvious, but most people don’t think about it much: if you want to break out of a slump, get yourself excited about a goal. But how can you do that when you don’t feel motivated? Well, it starts with inspiration from others (see above), but you have to take that excitement and build on it. For me, I’ve learned that by talking to my wife about it, and to others, and reading as much about it as possible, and visualizing what it would be like to be successful (seeing the benefits of the goal in my head), I get excited about a goal. Once I’ve done that, it’s just a matter of carrying that energy forward and keeping it going. Visualize, and think about how you would feel after achieving your goal.

Feel it – When most people feel depressed they just ride the feeling out. They don’t try to snap out of it. Yes, it is good to let your emotions out instead of bottling them up, but don’t let them take over your life. Have your feelings then realign your focus, place it on other feelings. Like your feelings about your goal. To become motivated you need to ignite it. Use visualization and other forms of inspiration to release your feelings about your goals. Think of what it would be like or how it would feel to have it completed. Take that excited, happy feeling and run with it.

Always keep it in your mind – The more you positively think about something, the better the chance it will become a reality. Keep your goal at the forefront of your mind. When I want something and I’m mobile, I save a picture of it in my phone and refer to it as needed. Post pictures where you’ll see them daily, if you’re always on your computer put up inspirational wallpaper, use affirmations. Make a plan to take a small step every day to bring you closer to accomplishment. These little reminders and actions speak to your motivation. Don’t get frustrated with the fact that it isn’t a reality yet, continue to focus on how to will feel when it is.

Find Support – If your goal involves change, as many do, it can be hard to go alone. Changing habit or other parts of ourselves for the better can seem impossible. Especially if you’re surrounded by people who do or encourage the very thing that you are working against. Find someone or a community of like-minded individuals, you don’t have to have the exact same goal but maybe the same struggle. You may even connect with someone who has already been down that path and can lend their insight.

Focus on the good, not the bad – Cultural conditioning teaches us to be critical and judgmental, focusing on the negative. Don’t think about the difficulties, acknowledge them so that you can plan accordingly but don’t focus on it. That would be the simplest way to destroy your motivation. Focus on the outcome and how it would benefit you. If you’re looking for a job, instead of focusing on the repetitive application and interview process think about what the job will bring you when you get it, financial stability and career growth perhaps. Directing your energy on why you want it and how it will help you will motivate you to obtain it.

Lea is a conscious living advocate and personal development coach. She enjoys helping others reach their potential and achieve true happiness. You can get your free guide to personal development at http://www.leadingedgeadvocate.com.

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The most common question I receive when coaching people is how to sustain motivation and how to let go of stress.

“How do you stay motivated after the initial rush of inspiration has faded and the hard work begins?”
“I have so much to do today, how can I not be stressed?”

Without motivation, producing quality results is near impossible.
With motivation you can accomplish extra-ordinary things and become hugely successful.
I have had times when I have barely been able to get myself out of bed, because I didn’t feel as though I had a reason to get up.

I have been through times when I can’t sleep because there is so much fun to do!

Motivation comes and goes, but there are a lot of things we can do to keep it for a longer time and keep the lowest levels of motivation from getting too low.

Motivation at work
When I got my first sales job I was very, very motivated. I couldn’t wait to get started.
I started working hard from day one and pushed myself harder than I ever had before.

Things went well for me, for about six months. Then I realized that this job wasn’t really for me, there were a lot of reasons I didn’t like the job, but the main one was the atmosphere at the company. The business plan was to “trick” customers into buying, which didn’t sit well with me.

My motivation started to wane and so did my results.

I stayed at the company much too long, over a year before I quit, but when I found a new job with a better culture and product, my motivation came back.

Since then I have learned several techniques that help keep motivation high.

You cannot motivate someone; they can only motivate themselves
This is both a true and false statement (at least in my belief).
Motivation comes from within, it is our own driving force, but there are tools that can be taught to help you increase and focus you motivation.

Clarity

The clearer your goals are the more motivated you will be, you will have a sense of purpose, a reason to work harder and to produce results.

As we progress through this book we will be working more and more on bringing clarity to your goals, this will bring you the greatest burst of motivation and the strength to achieve them.
Before we get to that stage though I want you to read these 5 exercises on how to increase your motivation, by using these before and after you have set your goals and made your plans, you will get an even stronger effect from it.

Write down all your projects
To get a better overview of why you are stressed it is important to know where you should start.

Two years ago I was having an introductory meeting with a new student and she told me something very interesting:

“I really want to become better at time management and I have worked at it a lot, I have a weekly plan, I prioritize it, but still when I get ready to start I just feel like there are so many other things I should do. I feel overwhelmed and start running in circles in my mind. All of a sudden an hour has gone by and I haven’t done anything, is there any way to cure this”

This is a very common problem, I am sure you have felt it yourself at one point or another.

Know everything that needs to be done
Keeping an overview of everything that needs to be done makes it easier to focus at one at a time.

This might feel stressful
The first time my wife listed everything she needed to do it was because I had told her to do it about 2000 times, too shut me up she finally did it. The reason she didn’t want to do it was that she was afraid that looking at that list would make it all more real and make her even more stressed.

It is keeping it in your mind that makes you stressed.

When you have to constantly think about and remind yourself about everything that needs to be done you become stressed, you can never put anything away.
Getting it onto a list makes it a lot easier, you can put it aside for the time being knowing you will come back to it soon.

You know what you are working on
Listen to your mind, what are you thinking about? What projects need to be done?
Write down everything, small and large on a list.

Identifying next actions
By identifying next actions you will have an easy actionable list. Things become smaller; you can do these small things to move the project forward. It also helps you from having to think about what needs to be done every time you pick up a new task.

You know you aren’t missing something
When you know you aren’t missing anything you can focus and start working on task number one. This will make you much more efficient and make that list smaller making you even less stressed.
Quickly you can start to get into a positive spiral and become more and more efficient.

Daniel M. Wood is a personal development coach and trainer. He has a background in Psychology, Sales, marketing and sports. Through his work with students around the world he has created the course “The Time Management Expert Course” that has helped hundreds of people decrease stress, increase their motivation and become a lot more efficient.

The course teaches you how to get control over your life and make room to be both spontaneous and relaxed.

Check out the course and see how it can help you.

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The motivational book industry is one of the biggest and bestselling printed materials industries not just in America, but around the world. While this is completely understandable, as many books out there have the potential to actually change the course of people’s lives, it behooves us to look at some claims with a skeptical eye. Here are a few themes that are played out in motivational books that you should think about carefully before buying into:

1. 1. Things could be a lot worse, so accept your fate.

This is one of the most bogus arguments that I hear from many motivational speakers and writers. Of course, things could be a lot worse. Things could be worse in any instance, as natural disasters, crippling poverty, and armed conflict going on around the world can attest to. At the same time, however, these problems do not, in any way, affect or connect with problems that you are going through. To say that you should just accept life as it is, is tantamount to never striving for change.

1. 2. Money and/or status are the most important things in life.

Although not all motivational books are guilty of this assertion, many of these books are underpinned by the idea that we are aiming for “success”, which means money and status, and that our problems are simply obstacles to this idea of success. As Portnoy states in the iconic novel “Portnoy’s Complaint”:

“American society [...] not only sanctions gross and unfair relations among men, but it encourages them. Now, can that be denied? No. Rivalry, competition, envy, jealousy, all that is malignant in human character is nourished by the system. Possession, money, property–on such corrupt standards as these do you people measure happiness and success.”

1. 3. You don’t have to sacrifice anything.

This is patently false, and when motivational books promise you that you can have it all based on a following a set formula, know that you are being duped. Life is tough, and we all must sacrifice one thing in order to accomplish or acquire something else. The tricky part is know which battles to pick, what to leave out, and what to compromise.

1. 4. You can handle your problems without help from others.

This is one assumption that runs rampant throughout many motivational books. And I’m convinced it is a direct result of America’s heritage of the puritan work ethic that dictates that we can all pick ourselves up from our bootstraps if we try hard enough. While I’m certainly not disagreeing with some of the themes of this tradition, I will say that, as John Donne put it, “No man is an island.” When the going gets tough, hold on to your nearest and dearest, and learn to ask for help when you need it.

While there is much that we can criticize about the self-help, motivational genre, it does fill a hole that is sorely lacking our lives. The most important thing to remember is to treat everything with a healthy, open-hearted, optimistic doubt.

———–

This guest post is contributed by Leslie Johnson, who writes about health, green living, parenting related articles at masters in health administration.

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Tips For Breaking Bad Habits and Developing Good Habits

If you’re going to achieve your deepest dreams and desires, you must understand how your mind works. When you learn how to tap into the deep reserves of your mind, you turn:

* probably into possibility
* “I can’t” into “I can” and…
* “can I?” into “how can I?”

Here are 7 ways to get motivated and achieve your goals:

1. Feel It Already Done.

This works great for a fitness or wellness goal (or any goal). Most people have a hard time going to the gym because they’re so focused on all the pain and inconvenience of a workout – and since we habitually move away from pain – we dread going to the gym.

Instead, try feeling what it would be like if you had already finished your workout. Get those good vibes going. Feel what it would be like if you had already worked out. Feel energetic and alive. As you get into this state, your desire and enthusiasm to workout will inspire you to act.

2. Give Yourself A Reward.

This is very similar to feeling as if it is already done, but with one small difference. If you have a hard time feeling the feelings of having it already done, then the next best thing you can do is give yourself a reward. But don’t just give yourself a reward just for the sake of it – you want to feel the reward.

Feel the reward. Associate strong positive feelings with the end result – your reward. When you feel the reward, you reinforce that goal and your desire with your subconscious. You reinforce that goal to your subconscious when you reinforce the feeling. The stronger and more positive the feelings are, the faster you leap into action.

3. Ask A Buddy.

Recently I had to undergo a major WordPress upgrade on my blog so I asked a buddy to help. I phoned him up and told him about my situation. I explained all the details and asked him if he had a goal or activity that he had been procrastinating with.

It turns out he did. So I offered to partner with him – to do a trade – where he would help me in exchange for my help. The result was beyond amazing. I helped my partner with his marketing needs and put more money in his pocket while he helped me upgrade my blog to the latest version of WordPress – a definite win-win.

4. Work With A Finish Line.

Be clear with your outcome from the very beginning. Set a finish line.

When I worked on my WordPress upgrade, I set a finish line – not a deadline. I always work with a finish line – not a deadline – because I don’t want to be dead when I’m finished. Subtle, but effective.

5. Create Reasons Why You Will Succeed.

The majority of people are so focused on the negative aspects of their goals that they can’t help but talk themselves out of them. The way to gain back control is by gently bringing your attention to the reasons why you can do something – as opposed to the very opposite.

The more often you focus on what you can do – the easier and more natural it becomes for you to go out and start doing it. You must realize that your mind is not in control – you are.

Start managing your mind by creating a list of reasons why you can’t help but achieve your goal. As you begin this process, your confidence and enthusiasm will soar.

6. Have A Bigger Vision.

This is my absolute favorite way of getting motivated. It takes less time commitment on a day-to-day basis, but requires your persistence. This type of sustaining motivation is for much bigger goals.

It’s better fit for the ambitious type who has a much bigger project or goal to accomplish; one that will take you more than a year to complete. If you want sustaining motivation that grows stronger and more compelling each and every day, create a bigger vision. The way to do that is by visualizing your outcome daily for a minimum of 5 minutes.

7. Use “Pain” as Leverage.

I used to work with the owner of a construction company. He had this habit of telling everyone he knew about his goals and then doing nothing about it. Eventually he got to the point where he was afraid of telling the people in his life about his goals because he felt like a liar.

His construction clients were another story. Every time he promised one of his clients he would build a new home he would follow through. His track record for follow through with his clients was 100%.

Why?

Because he had a lot of pain associated with a failure to deliver to his clients. His business and reputation were on the line so he always took massive action.

Use pain as a motivator. Think of an important goal you would like to accomplish in the next year. Now that you have it in mind, make an agreement with your wife/husband/brother/sister or anyone who knows you well. Put a contract in writing with them that says if you don’t achieve your goal in the next 3 months you will give them $500 in cash. Sign it.

For most people, loosing that kind of money is more painful than taking action towards their goals. They will instantly leap into action to avoid loosing that money – and guess what else happens?

You get motivated and do the impossible to achieve your goals.

Steve is the creator of Freedom Education: Manifesting Your Desires Download Steve’s 7 Secrets of Rapid Transformation.

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Personal development, maximizing your potential, goals setting, motivating yourself for the better – these are some of the inter-related things that you need to work on as an individual. Here, we will set our sights on the many ways that you can develop motivation in life.

The Importance of Finding Out what Motivates You

First, let’s find out what the importance of motivation exactly is. Simply put, motivation is that driving force which allows you to achieve your goals and go after what you want in life. If you want to change your personality for the better, get a promotion at work, start a new habit, be a better person who is part of the community, become a better parent for your kid – all of these things would be easier accomplished if you are properly motivated.

As long as you have a strong personal motivation, you can achieve almost anything that you want from life. However, remember not to fall into the trap of looking for short-cuts to achieve your goals. It’s perfectly fine if you have to take a long and winding road to achieve your goal. It will be an even sweeter victory when you finally achieve your goal, knowing that you have had to go through several hurdles to attain it.

Developing Motivation in Life

So how can you develop motivation in life? If you wish to accomplish a goal – be it short-term or long-term in nature – how can you find it in you to be properly motivated? Here are a few things that you should keep in mind:

1. Focus on one goal at a time.

This should be partnered with the fact that you should make sure that your short-term goals all help in achieving your long-term goals. One of the best ways for you to focus on one goal at a time is to make a diary of your goals – yes, write it down – so that you will have a visual representation of the things that you want to achieve rather than letting it all get lost in your head.

2. Get rid of all the distractions which might prevent you from achieving your goal.

Let’s say that you are a writer who wants to finish a book. How can you type away on your keyboard one chapter after another if there are many distractions surrounding you like television, friends chattering away or the lure of aimlessly browsing through the Internet. In order for you to stay properly motivated, make sure to steer clear of any distractions.

3. Completely block out any negative influences.

Finally, make sure that you are completely blocking out any negative influences in your life. If you feel that you are being distracted from your goal by a problem which does not seem to go away, ask yourself what you can do to eliminate such a challenge and distraction in your life. Maybe you are being sidetracked by negative thoughts and feelings because you have no faith in yourself. Addressing the root of the problem, completely blocking out any negative distractions and thinking purely positive thoughts is the best way for you to develop motivation in your everyday life.

Constantly Work At Motivating Yourself

A goal doesn’t do you much good unless you are constantly thinking about, and working towards it. Write down your goal and place it somewhere that you will see it at least 1-2 times a day. If you have a weight loss goal, place your written goal beside the refrigerator. If your goal is to get physically stronger, place your written goal near your weight bench so you can see it when you are working out. This provides the extra motivation you need for those tough days.

A great way to motivate yourself with business goals is to put up a motivational quote beside your desk. Do a Google search for motivational quotes, then print off one and put it inside of a picture frame. Keep it there and read it occasionally throughout the day. Whenever you find yourself not looking at the quote anymore, or it no longer provides the inspiration that it once did, it’s time to change the quote. It’s perfectly OK to change this quote every 1-2 weeks for maximum motivation.

Some people make a habit of reading their goals either when they first wake up or right before they go to bed. When you read your goals upon arising, you may begin to notice that you find yourself doing more each day to help you reach your goals. Similarly, when you read your goals right before bed, you may notice that you wake up with good ideas that you never thought of before.

Final Thoughts

It’s important to have motivation in your life. Motivation is the fuel that you need to continue striving for your goals. Soak up motivating things in your life on a daily basis. Read great books that will inspire you. Read great blogs that are both positive and informative.

It’s human nature to have days were you aren’t very motivated. However, if you continue to surround yourself with positive and motivational things, those days will be few and far between.

Ryan Whiteside is a Guest Blogger for PickTheBrain. To learn more about personal development and how to set goals visit the Ultimate Guide To Personal Development.

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According to those who follow the cycle of the moon, the solar eclipse that took place on January 15 is actually the day we should all be making New Year resolutions.  Whether it be January 1^st or the 15^th, we all tend to feel pressure to ‘resolve’ ourselves to do something when January rolls around: lose weight, workout, spend less, make amends.  Ultimately, when we revisit New Year’s Eve on that same year, we look back and realize we have fallen short, or even worse, haven’t accomplished any of these resolutions.   And if we haven’t had enough champagne to dull the nagging sense of failure, we are left feeling a little defeated, maybe lazy or worse, without real direction in our lives.

Why do we torture ourselves like this?

And what exactly is a ‘resolution’ anyway?  A resolution is a firm decision to do something. “ I resolve to lose 20lbs. this year.”  “I will stop smoking this year.”  “I am going to run a marathon this year.”  These are all very firm, and certainly noble decisions, but sometimes life itself gets in the way, and our decisions become our burdens simply making us feel guilty for not being able to achieve them.  What if you have spent the entire year trying to quit, but just can’t seem to put the cigarette down, or what if you’re constantly on the road for work, eating out all the time and away from the gym making it impossible to lose the weight?  Why put yourself in a specific box… why commit yourself to the possibility of failure?  Furthermore, and more importantly, why make one decision on one day that you are committed to accomplishing in one year?

A firm decision sets an expectation and more often than not, an expectation is just a resentment in the making.

Now, I am certainly in no way saying that we shouldn’t set certain goals for ourselves, or that I think it’s best to wander through life without some sense of purpose or direction, but why do this on only one particular day of the year?  Why not spend every day making affirmations about yourself that will reinforce your intentions and better prepare yourself to accomplish these ‘firm decisions’.  Affirmations, in my opinion, are far more mentally healthy and much more realistic than a new year’s resolution.

An affirmation is a positive statement or declaration of the truth or existence of something.  “I am a beautiful person, and I deserve to be healthy.”  “I am capable of accomplishing any goal I set for myself.” Positive thinking can do wonders for your mental attitude thereby making these firm decisions much more attainable.

Here are a some tips on how to make affirmations:

Think about things in your life you want to improve. The best way to create affirmations is to consider areas of your life that you would like to improve.  Would you like a better job that pays more money?  Do you want to have a closer relationship with your mother, brother or sister?  Would you like to lose weight to feel better about yourself image?  Spend some time thinking about areas of improvement and jot them down.  Be clear about your goals and this will help in making them a reality.

Keep your affirmations focused and believable. Based on the list that you have written, choose what you want now.  Be clear with yourself.  “I want to lose 10lbs” is clear, focused and concise, so don’t decide tomorrow that you think you’d look better if you lost 15lbs. instead.  Furthermore, it is even more important to keep your affirmation believable… don’t set yourself up for failure.  So, instead of saying “I want to lose 10, 20, 30lbs.,” you are better off saying “I am on my way to a more healthy body by losing weight and exercising regularly.”  Essentially, it is important to draw a line between your wants and your feelings.  You want to lose a certain amount of weight, but this want stems from the desire to feel better about yourself.  The feeling is the focus.

Always state your affirmations in the present tense. Tell your mind that your desire is actually already the reality.  If you use words like “I will” or “I am going to,” then what you are really doing is postponing the attainment of your goal.  If your affirmation is your reality, well then, you are already accomplishing it!  “I have a loving relationship with my mother” is much more positive for your mind than to say you will have this type of a relationship with mom.  By saying you will, you give yourself the opportunity to postpone that difficult first phone call or meeting with her.  Tell yourself you already have this positive relationship with mom, and you are already halfway there to achieving it.  Our minds are incredible gifts that have the power to make our goals a reality.

Always keep your affirmations brief and simple. Formulate your affirmations in your own language, and by this I don’t mean English or Italian or Russian, but rather… speak to yourself the way you speak all the time.  Don’t use long sentences or big words because this only counteracts the ability to remember them… and repeat them.

Repeat them daily and say them out loud. Preferably in front of the mirror.  You will be shocked at how awkward you feel when doing this the first few times… but DO IT!  It forces you to believe in yourself!

Write them down. And refer to them often.  It’s also a great idea to keep them in a visible place… in your office, or taped on the bathroom mirror or your closet door.

Remember you can never make an affirmation for another person. As much as we might want to make positive statements about another person in the hopes of changing them to fit our expectations, we must learn, immediately, that we can never change another human being.  We only have control to change ourselves.

Lastly, and I think most importantly, let go of your expectations. Of yourself and of others.  Life can get in the way of life… can get in the way of our affirmations.  Trying to control everything that happens in your lives will not bring us closer to attaining our goals or affirmations any sooner.  In fact, it might actually hinder you.  If you are constantly focused on a particular obstacle or occurrence that goes against your affirmations, you will surely lose focus.  Stay open, be free and accept what life brings to us, even its’ challenges.  This way you are able to continue to focus on what IS positive in your life.  And affirmations are ALWAYS positive!

Good luck.  And Happy New Year!

Melisa Verrecchia is a Guest Blogger for PickTheBrain and a freelance writer.

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21 Tactics To Increase Motivation

Image courtesy of The Huffington Post

You know what it’s like to feel unmotivated. You sit and stare at your to-do list, and nothing on it inspires you at all. It’s just a string of tasks that you wish you didn’t have to do. Simply getting started seems to take an unfathomable amount of effort.

Yet, you don’t always feel that way. You know what motivation feels like, too. You have times when you can’t wait to get started on something – a much-anticipated trip, a big project that you’ve been looking forward to sinking your teeth into, a new course that you’re taking, or a job which is going to be so satisfying when it’s done.

So how can you make sure that you are motivated, whatever the task at hand?

Psychologists distinguish between two forms of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. The effects of each might feel the same – excitement, being keen to “get on with it” – but the two types of motivation arise from different places.

Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation comes from within. It’s the sort of motivation that you get when you’re doing something you enjoy; when the task itself is its own reward. Think of something you love – perhaps computer games, playing the guitar, cooking, painting … any activity you enjoy. You never procrastinate over it, do you? It seems almost silly to ask that – of course you don’t, if anything, you put off other tasks in order to do the ones you enjoy!

One way to make your to-do list easier is to put as many tasks on it as possible which are things you love. Sometimes they might be hard, or you might feel a little resistance to getting started – but once you’re doing them, you find them fun.

In some cases, that might mean rethinking your career choice or your lifestyle. If your life is made up of a whole string of unexciting or unpleasant tasks, how did you get into that situation? What can you do to change it?

When you’re engaged on something which makes you intrinsically motivated, you’ll find that:

• It’s fairly easy to maintain your concentration
• You’re keen to do well because the task deserves your best effort
• You’d do it whether or not you were paid or rewarded in any way

Intrinsic motivation can be a powerful force – but it can also be subject to your moods; when you’re feeling cheerful and upbeat, you’re more likely to enjoy what you’re working on than when you’re feeling low. And for some tasks, there’s simply no way you’re going to enjoy them. That’s where extrinsic motivation comes in.

Extrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic motivation comes from outside. This is the motivation which gets you to plough on with something you don’t like all that much … because you know there’ll be a reward at the end. Think of a time in your life when you stuck with something in order to reach a particular goal: maybe you studied hard in college not because you loved studying, but because you wanted to get your degree. Or perhaps you worked in a job that bored you because you needed the paycheck. On a day to day level, you probably clean your house because you want it to be a pleasant place to live – not because you really love cleaning.

Sometimes, people think that extrinsic motivation is shallow or false – but it can be a very powerful force. Most difficult things become more bearable when you’ve got something to look forward to at the end.

With extrinsic motivation, you’ll find that:

• It might be hard to concentrate – you may be tempted to procrastinate
• You want to do the task to a high enough standard to get the reward or achieve the goal at the end, but you don’t care much about it being perfect or excellent.
• You’d be much more reluctant to do it if there was no reward

External motivation is easier to manufacture than intrinsic motivation. If you have a string of tasks which need to be done, but which don’t interest or excite you in any way, can you find extrinsic motivation? That might mean:

• Promising yourself a reward at the end (e.g. a cookie, a new DVD, some “me time” to indulge)
• Focusing on the goal rather than on the process – the finished result
• Finding a way for the completed task to give you public acknowledgement or acclaim (easier said than done – taking a qualification would be one way, or joining an organization focused on that particular area)

What works for you? Are most of your activities intrinsically or extrinsically motivated – or is it a bit of both?

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If you want to make things happen the ability to motivate yourself and others is a crucial skill. At work, home, and everywhere in between, people use motivation to get results. Motivation requires a delicate balance of communication, structure, and incentives. These 21 tactics will help you maximize motivation in yourself and others.

Motivation

1. Consequences – Never use threats. They’ll turn people against you. But making people aware of the negative consequences of not getting results (for everyone involved) can have a big impact. This one is also big for self motivation. If you don’t get your act together, will you ever get what you want?

2. Pleasure – This is the old carrot on a stick technique. Providing pleasurable rewards creates eager and productive people.

3. Performance incentives – Appeal to people’s selfish nature. Give them the opportunity to earn more for themselves by earning more for you.

4. Detailed instructions – If you want a specific result, give specific instructions. People work better when they know exactly what’s expected.

5. Short and long term goals – Use both short and long term goals to guide the action process and create an overall philosophy.

6. Kindness – Get people on your side and they’ll want to help you. Piss them off and they’ll do everything they can to screw you over.

7. Deadlines – Many people are most productive right before a big deadline. They also have a hard time focusing until that deadline is looming overhead. Use this to your advantage by setting up a series of mini-deadlines building up to an end result.

8. Team Spirit – Create an environment of camaraderie. People work more effectively when they feel like part of team — they don’t want to let others down.

10. Recognize achievement – Make a point to recognize achievements one-on-one and also in group settings. People like to see that their work isn’t being ignored.

11. Personal stake – Think about the personal stake of others. What do they need? By understanding this you’ll be able to keep people happy and productive.

12. Concentrate on outcomes – No one likes to work with someone standing over their shoulder. Focus on outcomes — make it clear what you want and cut people loose to get it done on their own.

13. Trust and Respect – Give people the trust and respect they deserve and they’ll respond to requests much more favorably.

14. Create challenges – People are happy when they’re progressing towards a goal. Give them the opportunity to face new and difficult problems and they’ll be more enthusiastic.

15. Let people be creative – Don’t expect everyone to do things your way. Allowing people to be creative creates a more optimistic environment and can lead to awesome new ideas.

16. Constructive criticism – Often people don’t realize what they’re doing wrong. Let them know. Most people want to improve and will make an effort once they know how to do it.

17. Demand improvement – Don’t let people stagnate. Each time someone advances raise the bar a little higher (especially for yourself).

18. Make it fun – Work is most enjoyable when it doesn’t feel like work at all. Let people have fun and the positive environment will lead to better results.

19. Create opportunities – Give people the opportunity to advance. Let them know that hard work will pay off.

20. Communication – Keep the communication channels open. By being aware of potential problems you can fix them before a serious dispute arises.

21. Make it stimulating – Mix it up. Don’t ask people to do the same boring tasks all the time. A stimulating environment creates enthusiasm and the opportunity for “big picture” thinking.

Master these key points and you’ll increase motivation with a bit of hard work.

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People at the top of every profession share one quality — they get things done. This ability supercedes intelligence, talent, and connections in determining the size of your salary and the speed of your advancement.

Despite the simplicity of this concept there is a perpetual shortage of people who excel at getting results. The action habit — the habit of putting ideas into action now — is essential to getting things done. Here are 7 ways you can grow the action habit:

1. Don’t wait until conditions are perfect – If you’re waiting to start until conditions are perfect, you probably never will. There will always be something that isn’t quite right. Either the timing is off, the market is down, or there’s too much competition. In the real world there is no perfect time to start. You have to take action and deal with problems as they arise. The best time to start was last year. The second best time is right now.

2. Be a doer - Practice doing things rather than thinking about them. Do you want to start exercising? Do you have a great idea to pitch your boss? Do it today. The longer an idea sits in your head without being acted on, the weaker it becomes. After a few days the details gets hazy. After a week it’s forgotten completely. By becoming a doer you’ll get more done and stimulate new ideas in the process.

3. Remember that ideas alone don’t bring success – Ideas are important, but they’re only valuable after they’ve been implemented. One average idea that’s been put into action is more valuable than a dozen brilliant ideas that you’re saving for “some other day” or the “right opportunity”. If you have an idea the you really believe in, do something about it. Unless you take action it will never go anywhere.

4. Use action to cure fear – Have you ever noticed that the most difficult part of public speaking is waiting for your turn to speak? Even professional speakers and actors experience pre-performance anxiety. Once they get started the fear disappears. Action is the best cure for fear. The most difficult time to take action is the very first time. After the ball is rolling, you’ll build confidence and things will keep getting easier. Kill fear by taking action and build on that confidence.

5. Start your creative engine mechanically – One of the biggest misconceptions about creative work is that it can only be done when inspiration strikes. If you wait for inspiration to slap you in the face, your work sessions will be few and far between. Instead of waiting, start your creative motor mechanically. If you need to write something, force yourself to sit down and write. Put pen to paper. Brainstorm. Doodle. By moving your hands you’ll stimulate the flow of ideas and inspire yourself.

6. Live in the present - Focus on what you can do in the present moment. Don’t worry about what you should have done last week or what you might be able to do tomorrow. The only time you can affect is the present. If you speculate too much about the past or the future you won’t get anything done. Tomorrow or next week frequently turns into never.

7. Get down to business immediately – It’s common practice for people to socialize and make small talk at the beginning of meetings. The same is true for individual workers. How often do you check email or RSS feeds before doing any real work? These distractions will cost you serious time if you don’t bypass them and get down to business immediately. By becoming someone who gets to the point you’ll be more productive and people will look to you as a leader.

It takes courage to take action without instructions from the person in charge. Perhaps that’s why initiative is a rare quality that’s coveted by managers and executives everywhere. Seize the initiative. When you have a good idea, start implementing it without being told. Once people see you’re serious about getting things done they’ll want to join in. The people at the top don’t have anyone telling them what to do. If you want to join them, you should get used to acting independently.

Note: This list was inspired by The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz. The book is highly recommended.

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